Chosen
by Princess Antanasia the Vampire
Summary: Dimitri said yes to Tasha causing an entirely new story. Spokane never happened- because Dimitri had never told Rose about the strigoi, for example. When Rose and Dimitri meet later on, will their too-brief romance continue? Or is there no hope for them?
1. The Real Chapter One: It Begins

**A.N: Hi. It has been literally forever. Between everything in my life plus frequent bouts of writers' block, I have not written anything. Not fanfiction, not original. Then I remembered this and made myself write chapter one. Now I feel great. Amazing. I feel like I can now I can confidently write chapter 8 of With Him. Can't wait for you to have it!**

**Love, **

**Princess Antanasia the Vampire**

**Disclaimer:** Nope. Not mine. Don't own it. Wish I did. But I don't.

I adored this resort. For once, I actually appreciated something the royals did. I flopped on to my bed provided in the room assigned to me. The whole thing was dampened a little bit by the reason why we were here, but I was enjoying it all the same. I was just lying there enjoying the soft cushiony mattress, when I heard a knock on the door. Reluctantly, I got up and opened it. My mood brightened considerably. It was Dimitri.

"Hey." I greeted.

"Rose, may I come in?" He asked.

"No, I'm gonna make you stand at my door." I answered sarcastically and opened the door wider. He stepped in and smiled sadly. "Rose, Roza," my heart skipped a beat when he spoke my name in his native tongue; "I'm not going to be your mentor anymore." He told me. My breath caught.

"What the hell?" I gasped.

"In fact, except for a brief stop for my belongings, I won't be returning to the Academy at all."

I swallowed. My mom had been telling the truth. Tasha had made an offer, and he accepted. He was going to be her guardian and not only that but they were going to have kids and build a life and…

"Why?" I asked in the fashion of a small child.

"Tasha requested that I become her guardian and I said yes." There it was the confirmation. I closed my eyes against the tears. "Oh, Rose, don't cry." He whispered.

"Not my choice." I choked. He embraced me. I could smell his aftershave; it was sexy like nothing else. "I'll miss you." I gasped against his chest. He didn't answer me.

"I will miss you as well, Roza." He said eventually.

I didn't want to let go of him. Not now, not ever. But I had to. I pulled away from him and for a second I thought I saw him want to pull me back. It was gone. He didn't want me. Didn't care.

"No you won't. You don't care about me." I whimpered in a very puerile way. He looked aghast.

"I do Roza. You are my student. How could I not?" He whispered.

He kept saying my name in Russian. But it meant nothing anymore. It had never meant anything. He didn't care. He never did. He would never return my feelings. I turned my face from him. He took my chin gently in his firm grip and he used only a small amount of force to turn my head the way he wanted. I broke away. I moved across the room, looking out to the balcony on the far side of the room. Tears streamed down my face and I refused to let him see.

"Have a nice life, Guardian Belikov." I said. It would have been rude if I'd had enough strength to put into the remark. I heard the door close as he left.

Dimitri had left me. Or was about to leave me. How could he do this? I had honestly believed he felt at least _something_.

%%%

_Rose. Where are you? I haven't seen you all day._ Lissa said through the bond.

I was sitting on the balcony of my suite. Alone, crying and berating myself that I had even nursed the hope that he might have had any feelings for me. It had been the fantasy of a lovesick school girl. I felt stupid. Stupid and crushed.

_Have a nice life, Guardian Belikov._

_Rose?_ Lissa sounded more worried now. I went over to the room phone and dialed Lissa's room extension. No answer. Through the bond, I realized she was no longer in her room, but out looking for me. Well, she could come find me. I could wait. I flopped on my bed to wait. I couldn't stand staying still, though, so I began to pace the room anxiously. Then I took a shower. And tried Lissa's room again. This was a little pointless because I knew she wasn't there. For some reason she hadn't thought to come to my room. Finally, she got it and I opened the door so I could be moping when she came. When she did come in, her first thought was that for whatever reason, I was being overdramatic and unreasonable. Humph.

"What is it, Rose?" She asked, sounding a little too put – upon. I said nothing and sniveled. She closed the door behind her and came to sit next to me on the bed.

She tried to get me to talk for an hour, but all I could do was bawl into her shoulder and mumble that she'd know soon enough.

%%%

"_Have a nice life, Guardian Belikov."_

Graduation. I had felt like it would never come. But here it was. I had expected to be here with Dimitri reassuring me. But I was here alone. Alone. No one to pat me on the back and say that I was going to kill the Trials. No one to congratulate me when I finished at the top of my class. No one to be proud of me when I fingered the raw, angry skin where I had gotten my Promise Mark through the bandage. No one to admonish me for wanting to go out and kill strigoi within five seconds of my becoming an official guardian. I was alone. Of course, until the graduation party our group was holding. Because 'our group' included Christian, who's bitch aunt would undoubtedly be there. With her guardian.

"_Have a nice life, Guardian Belikov."_

If I never saw the bastard again, it would be too soon. How could he abandon me? Abandon what we had?

Lissa was useless. She knew nothing and couldn't understand why I had gotten bent all out of shape. She tried and failed and it was driving an unwanted wedge between us when I needed her the most. Then she announces that she's throwing a graduation party and everyone and their family is invited. Well whoop – de – fucking – do.

Lissa could go fuck herself; I was not going to that party and seeing Tasha and her guardian.

Like I had much freaking choice. If Lissa wanted me there, I would be there.

%%%

It wasn't so bad. It had turned out that Tasha had had a previous engagement and couldn't make it. Oh – well. I was actually enjoying myself. I was talking to Mason and we were getting along well. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tasha. What the hell? There was Dimitri, too, on her arm like an accessory. He looked happy. Through my hair, I watched him look around and felt him watching me. I laughed at the joke that Mason told and I did something stupid. I kissed him. He responded excitedly and when we broke apart, he looked in to my cup and asked me if I was drunk. I told him that I didn't think so and he smiled; a ghost of how he used to smile. Since Eddie died during the attack at St. Vlad's… He was more haunted now. I fingered my neck where there was a Zvezda mark, announcing to the world that I had killed too many strigoi to count at the bloody battle at my school.

It had been terrible.

Eddie was dead.

Meredith was dead.

Jesse Zeklos was dead. Not that that was a huge loss to society, but still, a moroi life was a moroi life. Him and countless others who fell. Mason must have guessed what I was thinking about because he hugged me. By now Dimitri had moved along and was talking to Lissa on the other side of the room. I reached out for the bond.

"_How is she, Rose, I mean."_

"_She's been inexplicably inconsolable since you left. It's so weird. It only got worse after the attack." He shifted his weight, but Lissa didn't realize._

"_She didn't look so inconsolable when she was kissing Ashford." Lissa was surprised as to why I would be kissing Mason, but she was happy that I wasn't moping._

"_It was probably a joking around kind of thing, he's been very comforting to her – sometimes I'm a little jealous of the time they spend together. Especially since Eddie died…" Suddenly, Lissa wanted to cry. She wasn't paying very much attention to Dimitri which meant _I_ couldn't and this was useless._

"Earth to Planet Hathaway – Rose, you in there?"

"Huh? Oh. Mason. Hi." That sounded ridiculous even to me, as I was wrapped in his arms.

"Hi to you, too." He seemed a little weirded out. I pushed him off of me.

"Sorry, Mase." I strode away.

I pushed through the crowd to Lissa's side.

"Hey Rose. You'll _never_ believe whose here." She said excitedly. I was a little bit surprised at her abrupt change of mood from when she had spoken to Dimitri.

"Who?" I asked, knowing who she meant.

"Guess." She instructed with a giggle.

"The abominable snowman?" I was suddenly very exhausted.

"No, silly. Tasha! Isn't that wonderful? Christian was _so_ disappointed that she couldn't come. But she just wanted to surprise him!" I just blinked at her. She didn't notice that I was _so_ not excited. She kept up her stream of inane animated chatter. She didn't even notice when I ditched her.

I wandered off to sulk and to maybe have some peace.


	2. Chapter 2: Good Things Come

**A.N. Hi! PAtV here! Here is chapter two of Chosen. As always, read and review.**

**Disclaimer**: What do you think?

T_T

"Take a day off, Guardian Hathaway." Coraline LaVelle, my moroi charge of six years, told me.

"I appreciate the thought, Miss LaVelle, but I'm quite alright without a day off." Being self absorbed as she was, she dropped it there. Which I was fine with, I suppose. I knew people with worse assignments. Coraline wasn't bad, just…oblivious. She'd kinda grown on me, even though I had to address her formally, follow her around while she shopped compulsively, and sit and watch while she got manicures, pedicures, facials and waxes etc.

"Oh, Guardian Hathaway. Someone called the house for you. Last name was Harrison or Harris or something like that. Left a number, too. I have it somewhere…"

"Don't worry, Miss LaVelle, I have the number." I assured her. She nodded and went back to picking out jewelry to match her dress. Of course I had the number! Frank Harrison was the head of the Guardian council! "When did he call?"

"Hmm…Yesterday? The day before?" I resisted the urge to smack her.

"Miss LaVelle? Maybe I will take that day off." She made a noise that 'Yeah, sure, whatever.' I ducked out of the room. I whipped out my cell phone and looked through my phonebook. I found him and dialed.

"Guardian Frank Harrison."

"Sir, it's Guardian Rosemary Hathaway. I was just notified that you had called for me." I squeezed my eyes shut and hoped he wouldn't be angry.

"Yes. I called the house of your moroi on Monday morning." Crap. It was Thursday.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, Sir. Miss LaVelle only just told me. She is…a little scatterbrained sometimes. Monday morning I was on the perimeter of the property and was unable to take calls."

"I know the woman, Hathaway. Scatterbrained is not the word I'd use. More like no-brained." He laughed gruffly over the phone. I blanched.

"Well, Sir, yes. But, Sir, if I may ask, _why_ did you call, Sir?"

"Well, Hathaway, to be blunt, you're young." I blinked in confusion. "We need fresh blood in our schools. A young perspective. We need guardian teachers who can relate with students. We've been watching you, Hathaway. You're a young guardian, a woman, and a very skilled fighter. To get to the point, Hathaway, we want you to teach at St. Vladimir's Academy. You're skills are being wasted trailing after that airhead, LaVelle. I've heard you speak. You can create passion with your words. You excite people. We want to take advantage of that. What do you say, Hathaway?" I was silent for a moment, stunned.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Say yes, we'll let you pick what you want to teach. Say no, we'll assign you a class."

"Fine. I'll do it. When do I start?" I sighed away from the mouthpiece of the phone. I think he heard it anyway.

"The new semester starts on Monday."

T_T

Speaking off the record, my students are the greatest. Oh, hell. Even on the record. They all know I think that they're awesome.

So I got here two weeks ago to the day and about to teach a class in practical guardianship to high school juniors and seniors. I was nervous and afraid, but I stepped into that class and I fit immediately. I couldn't believe how right Guardian Harrison had been. If I had had a teacher only six years out of high school herself, I would have enjoyed class a lot more. Three periods a week I lectured, and three periods a week it was fighting.

The really strange thing was that I knew some of them from my time in school. One of my students had been an elementary student I had found severely hurt – almost dead – during the battle of St. Vlad's. He had still been in critical condition when I graduated. I was glad to know he survived. One girl was a friend of mine's little sister. A bunch of them remembered me, too. The rest of the class knew me by name and thought it was the coolest thing ever to be taught by Guardian Rosemary Hathaway.

And now it was time for my first test. I wrote the two junior tests first, then deleted them, and then rewrote them. Several times. Then I began to write the one for the high track seniors. When I was finally finished with that, I wrote the lower track seniors.

T_T

Dimitri Belikov stood in the back, observing, never saying a word. He watched the chaos of the moroi with a slight smile. He heard his charge leading her crusade. He believed in her; knew she would win.

T_T

The entire day I fretted. I had my high track seniors first that day. It was the first period after lunch. When they came in, there was a test paper and an answer key, face down on each desk. I seated them alphabetically and told them to begin. I sat behind my desk, trying not to fidget. It wasn't working. I got up and began to pace the class room, walking up and down the rows. One of the three girls in the class raised her hand and I walked over slowly. I leaned over her shoulder and began to panic.

_Oh, God. I knew that question was a bad idea. I should've deleted it. Oh, God, they'll all think that I'm an awful, mean teacher and –_

"Guardian Hathaway," she whispered, "what is that supposed to say?" I almost laughed. I had made a typo. I explained, and then transcribed it on the board, to make it clear to the other students.

The rest of the test was uneventful. No more questions, no more typos. I was able to relax a little easier. The last student was on his way out. I stopped him.

"Taylor? How was it?" I asked, realizing after I said it that I sounded vulnerable and afraid. He smiled.

"It was good, Guardian Hathaway. It wasn't easy, but it was fair and not _too_ hard. I studied, so I knew the material." I smiled back at him and patted his shoulder.

"Good. I'm sure you did very well."

The rest of the tests went over just as well as the first. It made me happy and excited until I remembered that I had four classes worth of tests to grade.

T_T

I was alert instantly. I looked around wildly until I realized it had only been my cell phone ringing to wake me. I was at my desk in my quarters, four piles of tests, my grade book and a half finished, now cold cup of coffee. My phone stopped ringing and it made a noise to tell me that someone had left a voicemail. I figured I could check it later and I got up. I dumped my old coffee in the sink and I poured a fresh cup. I took a sip and sighed in pleasure as the scalding liquid burned my throat. I thanked God that my coffee pot kept coffee hot for hours. I sat back down to finish the tests. I glanced at the clock. It was eight in the morning. I realized I was hungry. I had missed the school wide breakfast, but as a teacher, it was all right. I didn't have classes until after lunch when the moroi and Novices split up. I had a mini fridge in my kitchenette and in it I always stored stuff like yogurt and fruit. I got up and grabbed an apple then went back to the tests again. My cell rang again.

I looked at the little screen. It was the captain of the school guardians, Eli Jameson. With a sigh, I picked it up.

"You have reached Rosemary Hathaway. Leave a message." I intoned.

"Very funny, Rosemary." He didn't _sound_ amused. I told him as much.

"Listen, Rose, there's –"

"Rosemary."

"Fine. Rosemary. Either way. There's major shit going down at the Court. Queen Tatiana has just gotten a law passed and believe you me; it's going to affect the entire Guardian system. There's a meeting for all the school Guardians in my office in five minutes." I groaned. "Do you have a problem with that, _Guardian Hathaway_?"

"No, but I have two and a half classes worth of tests to grade."

"I _weep_ for you, Rose. Get your ass here. Now." He hung up.

"Rosemary." I muttered into the phone before closing it.


	3. Chapter 3: Belonging

**Author's Note: Here, have a chapter. This chapter is where a lot of things took off for me. I knew roughly where the story was going, but this is where the body of the story really formed for me. Enjoy.**

**Love,**

**PAtV**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own VA.

"Effective when?" One of my colleagues asked.

"They're saying next school year." Eli answered.

Eli was younger than he wanted people to think, he was only three or four years older than me. He was the youngest captain our school had ever had. And he did a good job, too. But as well as he was able to keep the school guardians organized, this uproar was too much for even him to control. The general atmosphere in the room was frustrated and conflicted.

"Have they told you who is going to come teach here?" Someone asked.

"They've barely passed the law! They don't even know which moroi will want to participate." Eli shouted in frustration. He ran a hand through his strawberry blonde, spiky hair, leaving it messy and ridiculous looking in a good way. "There are moroi parents screaming at the Princes and Princesses who voted for the law. Families are dividing. Children who want to participate have parents who are against it. Parents who are for it are fighting against kids who think it suck. Tatiana is going to be getting death threats for months. This is the most controversial law passed in living memory and the brunt of the issues is going to get shoved to _us_. And _you're_ worried about which _teacher_ we're going to get!"

"Eli!" I said, standing up. "Calm _down_! We understand that you're upset. We're _all_ upset, but you're the only one yelling. Shouting at us is _not_ going to help." Our eyes met and we stared each other down for a few moments. After a while, his blue eyes began to water and he sat; I followed suit.

"Thank you, Guardian Hathaway." He said frostily.

"No problem." I answered in the same tone. He waited until everyone's attention was elsewhere before he mouthed _Piss off_ to me.

T_T

Dimitri Belikov smiled at his lover. "I'm so proud of you." He murmured happily. It was true – he was proud of her. She glowed with his praise. "Are you going to teach, my love?" He whispered.

"Of course, Dimka. What kind of hypocrite would I be if I didn't?"

"Well, then. Off to live at a school. Surrounded by communal Guardians. No need for me anymore, huh?" He teased her.

"I'll always need you, Dimka." She kissed him then smiled. She took his hand and led him to their bedroom."

T_T

"You know, Rosemary, it wasn't very appropriate of you to yell at me like that in front of everyone. I could punish you for insubordination." Eli said.

"Yeah, but you won't." I said against his neck.

"Maybe I will." He teased with an evil look in his eye. He pulled away from me.

"How are you going to do that?" He just grinned and kissed me.

"This isn't really a punishment." I laughed.

"But it will be." He grinned again.

Ah, hell.

T_T

The next few days past uneventfully. I had a few more clandestine meetings with Eli, gave students back their tests, and taught classes. All normal things. I had already fallen into a routine, but as time passed, I felt like more and more a part of the school. Someone who belonged here again. I wasn't the 'new teacher' anymore. Students were no longer cowed by my accomplishments as a guardian. I was just Guardian Hathaway, someone respected and, to a certain degree, awed. But just another teacher. I started having regular shifts as a school Guardian as well. I was well adjusted and got along with all my colleagues. Several knew me from when I had been in school which was amusing.

But as the days, then weeks passed the knowledge and burdens of the decree hung over our heads like the Sword of Damocles.

Months passed like this. Eli and I morphed from a couple meetings to friends with benefits. Which was fine with me. He once told me he had a girlfriend – I said "Good for you." Later, he confided that he had lied just to see how I would react. I had laughed. He was a good guy and easy to look at. We had fun.

But that's all. Which was good, because that was all either of us wanted.

T_T

Dimitri Belikov knew he should keep a straight face, but he was too happy. He was going back to St. Vladimir's. His charge was assigned and as he promised, he would follow her anywhere. After all, they came first.

T_T

"How long until the bell?" I asked my class, looking at the clock.

"About ten minutes." Answered one of my students, Jude Holmes. I sighed. Not enough time for a new topic, but nothing more to discuss about the old one. I glanced at the clock again, willing the hands to move backwards.

I was about to dismiss them early, but then someone, I didn't see who, piped up and asked me to tell a story. Soon the entire group was clamoring for a story. I silenced them with a finger in the air.

"It was my night off. I was spending the day with my closest friend, a moroi, the Dragomir princess." I for a minute thought about Lissa and for a second, I opened my mind to allow me to feel the bond. She was happy, overwhelmingly so. I smiled in response then closed myself to her, something I had perfected.

"We were out, having a good time. We went to dinner, and then we shopped. Her own Guardians were tailing us, but we pretended that they weren't there. We were trying on clothing. I was trying on a dress I needed to be able to follow my moroi to a human charity event. Lissa – Vasilisa – was still in the changing stall, and I was examining myself in the three way mirror." I could not believe I was telling this story to a group mostly comprised of boys.

"In the mirror, out of the corner of me eye, I saw something move quickly and silently. Still in the mirror, I looked, slowly and careful not to alert whatever it was behind me. I recognized what I had seen, but I didn't get a chance to process it. I heard a loud noise – wood breaking and splintering. Then a scream I would recognize anywhere. I whirled around to see a strigoi about to attack Liss – Vasilisa. Without thinking, I tore the slit in the dress up higher to allow me to move – and then I pulled out my stake and I went at the strigoi. The fitting rooms were too narrow for me to get behind it and stake it, so I jumped on its back. It backed up, pinning me between it and the wall. I freed my arms and grabbed its chin from behind and broke its neck. As you know, that won't kill a strigoi, but it bought me time. I managed to stake it in the heart from behind. It fell back on me and I dropped it after pulling my stake from its back. The corpse of the thing was lying on the floor when I first saw its face." I stopped for a moment, remembering.

"I looked at it. Its face. A face I knew as well as my own. It had been my friend. I hadn't even known that he had been turned into a strigoi. I started to cry for him. But then I was glad – I had put my friend out of his misery. He wouldn't have wanted to live like that." I looked at my students then, each of them solemn – faced and silent.

The bell rang and without a peep, they collectively rose and packed up. They left noiselessly, each murmuring thanks to me. I smiled sadly at each of them as they left.


End file.
